Page 55 - History of Rockingham Co

CHAPTER IV.

ROCKINGHAM AS PART OF AUGUSTA.

1738—1777.

When the first white settlers located in what is now

Rockingham County, the whole district west of the Blue
Ridge was a part of the county of Spotsylvania. It was thus
until 1734, when Orange was formed so as to include within
its limits the country west of the Ridge. The Valley thus
continued a part of Orange till 1738, when, by an Act of the
colonial government, that part of Orange west of the said
mountain was divided into the two new counties of Freder-
ick and Augusta. The text of this Act has already been
given in Chapter I. The district later organized as Rocking-

ham County fell within the limits of Augusta, according to
the division of the Valley made in 1738. The complete organ-

ization of Frederick and Augusta was delayed for several
years, the first courts being held for the former in 1743, and

for the latter in 1745. In 1739 the inhabitants of the lower
Valley, impatient at the delay, petitioned Governor Gooch,
requesting that the said county of "Frederica" might im-

mediately ' 'take place. ' ' About fifty men signed the petition,

but none apparently from the upper part of the Valley. ^ We

have already seen, however, in Chapter III, that in Augusta,
particularly in that part later to become Rockingham, settle-

ment was going rapidly on. From various sources we are

enabled to get occasional glimpses through the heavy curtain
of years, and recognize some of the figures moving upon that

far-off, pioneer stage.

1- For a list of the names signed to this petition, see Wayland's "Ger-

man Element," pp. 57, 58.